Probe panel finds faults in design of flyover

Kolkata: The fact-finding committee headed by state chief secretary Basudeb Banerjee submitted its report to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the Vivekananda Road flyover, a part of which collapsed on March 31, killing 27 people.

“The report has indicated that material used for the construction was of inferior quality and there was also some faults in the design of the flyover,” a top official of the state secretariat said on conditions of anonymity. The state government has sought a report from IIT Kharagpur on whether it will rebuild or raze the flyover.

“The experts will give their opinions, following which the government will take further decision. We can’t take any action without a proper impact study,” said an official.

The official said the mandate of the fact-finding committee was restricted to a particular location (pier 40c) of the flyover system, covering 2.2km. The IIT experts, before giving their opinion, will study the entire length between of the structure that was supposed to connect Girish Park and Posta.

Achyut Ghosh, a member of Indian Roads Congress steel bridge committee and visiting professor at IITs, had recently said that an additional design element in the vulnerable sections with necessary engineering structures can reinforce the condemned flyover.

“For every engineering problem, there is also an engineering solution. There is a feasible engineering solution to salvage the Vivekananda Road flyover and it should be considered,” Mr  Ghosh had said. He is also a member of the board on construction at Jadavpur Univeristy and technical adviser to Swiss engineering firm Mageba.